Tipperary TDs get over €4,000 each in expenses for month in which Dáil sat for one day

Tipperary's six TDs (across Tipperary North and Tipperary South) received over €25,000 between them in expenses for the month of December alone, a month in which the Dáil sat once. 

Details of the unvouched Parliamentary Standard Allowance (PSA) payments from December have been published. They show that TDs received €567,000 in expenses automatically for the month, having sat in the Dáil once. 

The Dáil sat on December 18 to elect Verona Murphy to the role of Ceann Comhairle. It did not sit again until January 22 when the election of Micheál Martin as Taoiseach was derailed over the speaking time row.

The Parliamentary Standard Allowance is an annual allowance paid automatically monthly to members of the Oireachtas, on top of their €113,000 a year salary. The PSA is made up of the Travel and accommodation allowance (TAA) and public representation allowance (PRA).

The public representation allowance covers costs associated with members’ work as public representatives — such as office rental and leaflet printing.

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The figures released this week show TDs for Tipperary North Alan Kelly, Michael Lowry and Ryan O'Meara received €4,225, €4,197 and €4,168, respectively, in Parliamentary Standard Allowance for December, while TDs for Tipperary South Séamus Healy, Mattie McGrath and Michael Murphy received €4,225 each.

TDs are entitled to claim between €9,000 and €34,065 a year in travel and accommodation expenses, depending on the distance between their home and the Dáil with different bands based on distance to the Dáil set out. 

Alan Kelly, Séamus Healy, Mattie McGarth and Michael Murphy are in band 6 for the TAA payment while Ryan O'Meara is in band 4 and Michael Lowry is in band 5. 

TDs must register their attendance in the Dáil on 120 days to claim the full rate of Parliamentary Standard Allowance.